


Between Flight

by GraySonOfGotham



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Bullying, Chilidogs, Dick Grayson is Robin, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Identity Porn, Identity Reveal, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, M/M, Making Out, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Orphan Jason, School Dances, Underage Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-10-21 00:07:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20684198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GraySonOfGotham/pseuds/GraySonOfGotham
Summary: A 15-year-old orphan dreams of the day he becomes eighteen to leave the life he is forced to endure. However, after a little altercation with a pickpocket, he meets Robin, and from that night on, Jason could not get rid of the Boy Wonder.Dick Grayson, of all people, also starts at Jason’s school as well, and decides to befriend him of all people. But of course, that's all a coincidence.





	1. Not A Fucking Charity Case

**Author's Note:**

> [This](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21097442) is the beautiful art by [slippin_into_darkness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/slippin_into_darkness/pseuds/slippin_into_darkness) for this fic! Thank you for your hard work, despite your business during this time!

Jason was leaning in the alleyway outside of the orphanage, calmly smoking, despite the fact that it was past curfew and if Mrs. Witherspoon found him outside, he would get shower privileges taken away, Jason needed some time alone.

Too bad he had to be disturbed by some idiot of a man, who tried to steal a lady’s purse.

Jason dropped the stub of his cigarette to the ground and squashed it under his heel, watching as the man tugged the purse from the lady. The lady yelled after the man, but the man laughed and ran across the street, towards Jason.

Jason stepped out of the shadows and into the man’s path.

“Outta the way, kid,” the man snarled, going to push Jason away.

But Jason stepped aside and tripped the man instead. The man stumbled, and Jason took this chance to knee the man in the balls, hard. As the thief crouched down on the ground, wheezing, Jason took the purse away and returned it to the lady across the street.

She stared at him with wide eyes.

“Uh, th-thank you, little boy,” she said in a stunned voice.

Jason scoffed. “’m fifteen, ma’am,” he said gruffly. “Not a boy.” Then, he tucked his hands into the pockets of his worn jeans, one of two pairs, and started up the street again.

He barely turned the corner when he heard something drop down behind him. Jason turned.

“Hi,” said a cheery voice.

Jason frowned at the new arrival. Despite being an orphan and not getting out much, Jason easily recognized the bright yellow, green, and red.

“What do you want?” he asked, a bit rudely.

Robin rocked back and forth on his feet, still grinning at Jason. “Well,” the boy said, his voice a bit deeper than Jason imagined. “I saw what you did back there, to help that lady. It was a very kind gesture. Though dangerous.”

Jason shrugged. “Yeah, whatever. We can’t all just sit around and wait for you and the Bat to show up.”

Robin laughed. “I’m impressed by your recklessness, I must say,” he said. “But I’m going to have to ask you to return that man’s wallet.”

“I’m sorry?” Jason asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You took that guy’s wallet after you kneed him in the groin.” Robin held out his hand expectantly.

Jason narrowed his eyes at the teen hero. Then, he shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He turned to go.

Robin flipped over his head and landed in front of Jason. He still had his hand out.

Jason sighed. “Look, dude. There’s only twenty dollars in there anyway.”

“You’re not better than him,” Robin said.

Jason scoffed and tossed the brown wallet to Robin. “He was a bad guy, and he deserved it,” he said. “Now scram, wonder boy,” he said, making a _shoo _motion with his hands. He shouldered past Robin and continued on his way.

Jason did not hear Robin try to follow him, but he did hear Robin’s amused laugh as he swung off into the night.

~

“Mind if I have one?” Jason asked, nodding at the pack of cigarettes in the man’s hand.

The man raised an amused eyebrow. “You smoke?”

“Sometimes,” Jason said with a one shouldered shrug. The man held out the pack, and Jason took one. He reached into his own pocket and pulled out a lighter. He breathed in deeply, letting the smoke fill his lungs for a moment before breathing out.

The man laughed. “Cool,” he said. The man then nodded to the black plastic bag he had set on top of one of the trashcan lids. “You drink as well? I just bought a pack of beers.”

“Nah,” Jason said, breathing out a couple smoke rings up to the starry sky. “I don’t touch alcohol.”

“Smart kid,” the man said with a nod.

“Not really,” Jason said, smiling at him slyly. He flicked the cigarette in his hand. “Just picky.”

“Oh?” the man asked with a smirk. “How so?”

“Well, for one,” Jason said, stepping in a little closer. “I like my men older, and- _holy shit!_”

A batarang whizzed past their faces and embedded itself against the lamp post just outside the alleyway they were smoking in.

The man’s face became one of horror and betrayal. He grabbed his bag of beers and spat at Jason, “You’re trying to get me arrested, kid?!” Then, he took off.

A few moments later, before Jason even had a chance to process what had happened, someone dropped down beside him.

“Did no one teach you not to talk to strangers?” Robin’s annoyingly chirpy voice asked.

Jason grinded his teeth together. “What the fuck do you want?” he asked. “It’s the second time this week I’ve run into you, and there are millions of other people in this damned city for you to annoy.”

Robin did not respond to the question. “Smoking’s bad for you, you know? Especially when your body is still developing.”

“I’m fifteen. Fuck off.”

“Fifteen, huh?” Robin said with a low whistle. “I sure wasn’t smoking and luring older men when I was fifteen.” Then, Robin cocked his head to the side and regarded Jason. “Then again, I was undergoing rigorous training with Batman, so I suppose I didn’t have much time for that.”

Jason ignored him.

“So, I’m sure you know Gotham’s dangerous at night. What are you doing out and about at this hour? Don’t you have school tomorrow?”

“Don’t you?” Jason snarled back, finishing his smoke and flicking it onto the ground. He squashed it with contempt. “Just leave me alone, Robin.”

“_Hey_,” Robin said as Jason started to leave. “I just saved your life!”

“He wasn’t going to _kill _me,” Jason scoffed.

“He could have molested you.”

“Thanks,” Jason said sarcastically. “But I can take care of myself. I’m a big boy, you know.”

“I’m sure you are,” Robin said seriously. “But even with your wicked ball-smashing skills, he could have hurt you. Why were you talking to him anyway?”

Jason mumbled to himself, then followed it with a “fuck off” to Robin.

“I’m not going to _tell _anyone, if that’s what you’re afraid of,” Robin said softly. “Were you selling yourself for money?”

Jason glared at him. “Stop making me sound like a prostitute,” he growled. “I wasn’t _selling _myself for money.”

“But it was for the money, wasn’t it?”

“I was just going to blow him, that’s it.”

Robin sighed. He put a hand on Jason’s shoulder, which Jason immediately shrugged off.

“Listen…” Robin said slowly. “If money is what you need, I can get you some-”

“I don’t need your charity, birdbrain,” Jason snarled. He stepped away from Robin and shook his head. “I said I can take care of myself.” He turned out of the alleyway and went into the 24-hour pizza shop right next door.

Jason was met with the spicy smell of the pizza. He stared hard at the menu for a while. After a second, the bells on the door rang again, and Robin leaned on the counter next to him.

“Pick what you want,” Robin said. “On me.”

Jason ignored him and walked over to the cashier. “Give me a slice of the veggie pizza,” he said. He noticed that Robin had come to stand next to him again. “Extra cheese,” he tacked on at the end.

The man nodded. “$3.25, please.”

Jason handed the money over before Robin could get a single word in. Jason then went to go sit in the farthest booth. Robin followed him and sat across from him.

“I said I would pay for it,” Robin pointed out.

Jason glared at him and reached for the sugar packets, pouring three of them into his water. “And I said I don’t need your charity.”

Robin gave him an unimpressed look, though it was really hard to tell if he was unimpressed due to the domino mask. “Is that why you got a veggie pizza? Because it was the cheapest of the choices?”

“Maybe I like veggie,” Jason said viciously at him, kicking the other teen under the table. “And if I was stingy about money, I wouldn’t have gotten extra cheese.”

Robin did not even flinch. “Or you were trying to prove a point to me,” Robin said softly.

“Why do you care anyway?” Jason scoffed. “If you want to help some poor kid, go find a kid who _can’t _take care of himself. There’s plenty of five, six, seven-year-olds out there in need of someone to help them.”

“I know,” Robin said, still looking at Jason.

The white lenses unnerved Jason, but he would never admit that aloud. His slice of hot pizza came over, and Jason wasted no time digging in. He folded the large slice in half and took a huge bite out of it, the extra cheese stretching satisfyingly.

As Jason chewed, Robin continued speaking. “I’ve been Robin for almost three years now, and one thing I’ve learned is that I can’t save everyone. I can _try_, that’s for sure, but some things just… don’t always work out,” Robin said. “Those five, six, seven-year-olds? Sure, I could help them. But I can also help out a fifteen-year-old who thinks he only has himself to depend on in the world.”

Jason glared at Robin, but he said nothing.

Robin watched him eat for a few more minutes, alternating between large bites and sips of his sugary water. Then, Robin stood.

“Anyway, it was nice talking to you again!” Robin said. He lightly punched Jason’s shoulder. “You know, it’d be nice to know your name so I can actually put a name to a face.”

Jason glared at Robin. “Do I get to put a name to a face?” he asked dryly.

“But you do!” Robin said cheerfully. “Robin, at your service.” He gave an exaggerated bow. “And you, my lord?”

Jason snorted, nearly choking. He took a couple sips of his water and wiped his mouth. “Jason,” he said. “You can call me Jason, you peasant.”

“Peasant, huh?” Robin asked. “Well, better than birdbrain, so I’ll take it. Until next time, _Jason_.”

With that, the Boy Wonder ran out of the pizza shop and swung off into the night. Jason pushed his too expensive slice of pizza away from him and leaned back in his booth, staring at the spot Robin previously occupied.

It was strange that he was actually, maybe looking forward to running into Robin again. But there was also the chance that he would not. Robin was one of Gotham’s heroes. He did not have time to hang out with a street rat like Jason.

Jason rolled his eyes.

For a second, Robin almost had him convinced.

~

“So, orphan, huh?”

Jason sighed, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and glaring at Robin. “Isn’t it a bit early for the bat and the bird to be out running about? The sun hasn’t even set yet.”

“We’ve got a case soon, so it’s an early night for us,” Robin said. He nodded up at the tall stone building that was the orphanage. “You live here?”

“Legally,” Jason said with a shrug. “Don’t actually stay there often,” he said darkly.

“Why not?”

“Hate the lady who runs the place. Awful and strict. Lights out at nine, shower is a privilege, no TV, must do homework first, no smoking in the house.”

Robin snorted. “Aside from the shower thing, it could be worse. Bats and I have taken down quite a few orphanages that are actually pedophile rings. But that’s all confidential,” he said. “You just get back from school?” Robin asked, nodding at Jason’s backpack.

“Yeah, what’s it to you?”

“Rather late, don’t you think?”

“No,” Jason bit back. “Sun hasn’t even set yet.”

Robin just shook his head and laughed.

“What?” Jason asked defensively. “I stayed to do my homework.”

“Really? You _willing _stayed at school longer? Huh, I was under the impression that teenagers don’t like school.”

“I do,” Jason said sulkily.

“Oh, really? What’s your favorite subject?”

“How to politely tell nosy people to leave me alone. Taught by Mr. Fuck Off,” Jason said sarcastically.

Robin laughed. “Well, you must not be doing very well in that class, Jason.”

Jason’s throat went a little dry. He had forgotten that he had told Robin his name, and the way the other boy said it… Jason shivered. “I like English,” he said gruffly. “Literature’s kinda my thing. Shakespeare and all that shit.”

He expected Robin to laugh and tease him, but instead, Robin just tilted his head to the side and smiled.

“That’s good,” Robin said. “Literature is cool.”

Jason scowled at him. Teasing he could deal with. Compliments, not so much. “Didn’t you say you have stuff to do?” he asked.

Robin laughed this time. “Yeah,” he said. “I’ll be off then.” He gave Jason a little salute and pulled out his grappling gun. Jason glared at Robin as the teen hero was lifted off the ground, his yellow cape flapping behind him, giving Jason an unfortunately unobstructed view of strong thighs and a barely covered ass that was abnormally perky.

Jason shook his head, banishing those thoughts from his mind. He watched as Robin disappeared over the tops of the roofs, just as the sun started to dip over the horizon. Jason started up the steps of the orphanage, and he went inside.

Later that night, after Jason came up from dinner and washing the dishes with the help of two other orphans, he had been prepared to do a bit of studying before going to bed, seeing that he really had nothing better to do.

Jason was feeling tired, so he did not want to go outside that night. He had a few exams the next day anyway, and should probably be rested for that.

As Jason flicked on the light of the room he shared with a thirteen-year-old boy, who was still downstairs, he noticed something tucked under the covers of his bed.

Jason went over and pulled it out, eyebrows shooting up when he saw the cover of the book.

It was made of dark leather, and it was extremely thick. In gold lettering, the cover read, _The Complete Works of William Shakespeare_.

Jason’s fingers tentatively ran over the pretty letters. He barely dared to breathe on it. He had no idea how the book had gotten into his bed, let alone who put it there.

He cracked the new book open to the first page, and there was a yellow sticky note right on the inside of the front cover.

In green and red pens, a crooked R was drawn on there as well as a loopy smiley face with its tongue sticking out.

Jason let out a small laugh, then shook his head.

“I hate you, Robin,” he said under his breath. He gently peeled the sticky note off of the cover and stuck it on the wall above his bed instead. Then, Jason flopped onto his bed and opened his book. “I told you, I’m not your fucking charity case.”

Jason made it through two and a quarter of Shakespeare’s comedies before Mrs. Witherspoon threatened to take away his weekly shower privileges if he did not go to sleep.


	2. The Rise and the Rose

Jason walked into his physics class on Monday morning, and he immediately noticed that something was difference.

Usually, he was the first or second in the classroom. But today, there were a couple more people than usual, hanging out in one corner of the classroom. Jason took his usual seat, glancing over at the corner with a frown.

None of the three people were in his class, and his teacher did not allow people who were not in the class to loiter in her classroom.

It turned out that out of the three, only one of them was actually in the class because the other two got kicked out as soon as his teacher returned.

Then, his teacher went and started talking to the new boy, who kept smiling and nodding. It did not look like he was being told off.

Jason just brushed it off and ignored it. He took out his textbooks and set them on the desk. Then, Jason grabbed his new book and opened it up, resuming where he left off. Jason was very careful when turning the pages, wanting to keep the book in pristine condition.

“Hey,” a voice said, snapping Jason out of his little bubble.

Jason looked up and saw the new boy sitting next to him.

“That seat’s taken,” Jason said slowly.

“Oh, I know,” the boy said. “I was just going to ask you to help me carry those boxes to another classroom. Mrs. Morris said I could get someone to help.”

Jason did not want to help. He wanted to read. He sighed however, and nodded. He closed his book and tucked it back into his backpack. Jason was a little hesitant about leaving it, hoping no one would take his precious book.

The new boy led Jason over to a couple of boxes. “I’m the new TA,” the boy explained. “I dropped Economics, so I had an open period,” the boy explained, even though Jason did not ask. “My name’s Dick. Dick Grayson.”

Jason ignored Dick’s hand and picked up a box. He heard glass clinking around inside.

“Careful,” Dick said. “It’s all old bottles of chemicals that she’s giving to one of the chem teachers.” They headed out of the classroom, Jason following a couple of feet behind Dick. “So, what’s your name?”

Jason sighed internally. “Jason.”

“Cool,” Dick said. “How do you like physics?”

Jason grimaced. “Well, I like it well enough. Mostly because no one talks to me.”

“Oh, the quiet type, are you?” Dick laughed. “That’s cool, too! I like a little mystery. Makes me feel like I’m in my own detective movie.”

“Uh-huh.”

They reached the classroom, and Dick said, “Here, let me get the door.” He reached around Jason and pulled it open, wedging his foot in. “You go first,” he said with a smile, letting Jason inside.

The teacher looked up when they came in. “Oh, good!” she said. “Just set that over there on that table. Thank you, guys!”

Dick smiled at her. “Sure thing!”

They left the classroom, and Dick walked slowly at a languid pace. Jason did not want to seem ruder than he had already been, so he had no choice but to match Dick’s pace.

“It’s a nice day, isn’t it?” Dick asked. “Really bright and sunny out. Uncommon weather for Gotham.”

Jason shrugged.

“Do you like the cloudy, gloomy days, Jason?” Dick asked.

“Don’t mind ‘em.”

“So you like cloudy or sunny?”

“I like it at night, when it doesn’t matter.”

Dick laughed. “Ooh. Night owl as opposed to an early bird?”

Jason just shrugged. They finally made it back to the classroom, and Jason could finally get away the chattering TA.

Jason slid into his seat, miffed that he did not get those extra five minutes to read his book from Robin. He pulled out a piece of paper and started taking notes. Jason then ignored every single glance Dick sent his direction.

Jason had a strong feeling that he was not going to be shaking Dick off for a long time.

~

Jason was unfortunately sorely mistaken when he thought he would only see Dick once a day.

In his very next class – creative writing – Dick plopped down right next to Jason.

“Hey!” Dick said.

Jason frowned at the older boy. “Why are you in this class?”

“Uh, well, I wasn’t sure what electives to take this year, so I just put whatever. And apparently this class isn’t as popular as AP Psych, so here I am!” Dick shrugged and grinned at Jason.

“Where were you last week?” Jason asked, a hint of annoyance and accusation.

“Hm? Oh, I had a different class, but when my schedule got switched around, I couldn’t do fourth period art anymore.”

“So your _entire _school schedule got switched?” Jason asked.

“Yup!”

Jason gave Dick a tight smile. “Splendid,” he said under his breath. “Just splendid.”

Jason tried not to straight up ignore Dick throughout the class. He tried to be a good classmate when Dick asked about catching up, what the teacher was like, how hard the class was, why _Jason _was taking the class, and a whole bunch of other things Dick _really_ did not need to know.

“Hey, Jason, you think I can get your number so I can text you if I have any issues?” Dick asked, pulling out his phone.

Jason frowned at Dick. He could not help but notice that it was the newest uFone model.

“I don’t _have _a phone,” Jason muttered.

“Hm?” Dick asked, leaning in closer.

Jason could not believe Dick. “I said,” he said through gritted teeth. “I don’t have a phone.”

Dick blinked at him in surprise. “You don’t?” he asked. “But- I saw that book you had earlier today. It’s an _expensive _book.”

Jason glared at him. “It was a gift from a friend.”

“Oh,” Dick said. “I- I’m sorry,” he said. He smiled and patted Jason’s shoulder. “It’s okay! I’ll manage. See you later!” he said before leaving the classroom.

Jason had been hoping that Dick’s were not that literal. However, they really were. At lunch, Jason was sitting at his usual spot, a half rotten wooden bench, alone. He had barely sat down with his free school-provided lunch when Dick Grayson sat down right across from him.

“Hey, Jason!”

Jason sighed, barely bothering to hide it. “Hello.” Jason pushed his lunch aside and pulled out his book. He opened it to _A Midsummer Night’s Dream_, and continued reading where he had left off.

“You’re not going to eat?” Dick asked, pulling out his own lunch bag.

“Not hungry,” Jason muttered. He _was _hungry, but he preferred to eat alone. He did not like eating in someone else’s presence because he felt like he was being watched and criticized.

Suddenly, half of a sandwich was pushed into his line of sight.

Jason looked up and saw Dick smiling down at him cheerfully. “Here,” Dick said. “Take half.”

“I don’t want your food,” Jason scoffed, pushing the sandwich back. “If I were hungry, I’d eat.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “But c’mon, this is _good _food. Cafeteria lunch is practically plastic.”

Jason glared at Dick. It was true – the cafeteria food could barely be considered food, but Jason could not afford to be picky. He would either eat it, or he would go hungry until who knows when. Lunch was really the only meal he could count on.

“I don’t need your _charity, _Grayson,” Jason growled, standing up. He slammed his book shut and started to put it away.

“Okay, okay!” Dick said quickly. “Fine, I won’t- I won’t push anything on you anymore. You don’t have to go.”

Jason glared at him harder, but did not continue to pack up.

Dick gave him a small smile. “It’s cool,” he said. “You stay here, enjoy your book and whatever. I’ll just go find somewhere else to sit.”

Dick stood, grabbing his lunch bag. Jason huffed, suddenly feeling a little guilty. He dropped back down into his seat.

“You don’t… have to go… either,” Jason muttered.

Dick positively beamed. He sat right back down, pulling his lunch out again and started munching on his gourmet sandwich.

Jason sullenly pulled his own lunch back in front of him. He stirred the lumpy macaroni and cheese around before taking a bite. It was thick and rather tasteless, but Jason forced himself to chew and swallow anyway.

“So, tell me about that book you’re reading,” Dick said. “Shakespeare’s the guy who wrote all those plays, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So, which one are you reading? I only know he wrote _Romeo and Juliet_. And I don’t know anything about that play other than the fact that both Romeo and Juliet were severely underage, and they died at the end,” Dick said with a laugh.

_“A Midsummer Night’s Dream_,” Jason said, picking up his apple and turning it in his hands, inspecting it for bruises.

“Oh? Is it any good?”

Jason shrugged. “It’s funny, I guess. I like it. But I like Shakespeare.”

Dick grinned. “Tell me about your favorite play.”

Jason picked the sticker off of his apple before raising his eyebrows at Dick, who continued to look at him expectantly. “Seriously?” he asked. He took a bite of his apple. Grainy and soft – not Jason’s favorite.

Dick nodded. “Yeah. I don’t really have time to read myself, and I don’t really have the patience to read much either, but… I like stories!”

Jason considered it. “_The Twelfth Night_,” he finally said.

“Never heard about that one,” Dick admitted. “What’s it about?”

Jason shrugged. “It’s one of Shakespeare’s comedies,” he said. “But essentially, it’s this crazy love triangle between this woman named Viola who is pretending to be a man and is in love with her boss Orsino, who is in love with this other lady named Olivia, who is in love with the man Viola is pretending to be.”

Dick’s eyebrows raised, and a smirk drew across his lips. “Sounds interesting,” he said. He cocked his head to the side. “I can see why it’s a comedy.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s exaggerated to the point where it’s almost unbelievable,” Dick said. “I can see how it would be entertaining to watch, but it’s not quite realistic.”

Jason frowned. “I think it’s perfectly realistic. Sure, exaggerated, but a love triangle is not uncommon.”

“But I don’t see women frolicking around as men all the time,” Dick said.

“There doesn’t have to be a secret identity for there to be a love triangle,” Jason pointed out.

Dick laughed, getting a twinkle in his eyes. He licked his lips and shrugged. “I suppose not,” he said.

Jason huffed. “Well, if you kept up with drama in this school, you’d know that there are all kinds of love triangle-like things every week.”

“You keep up with the school gossip mill?” Dick asked.

Jason scoffed. “_No_, but I’m saying, if you _did…_” He shrugged and bit into his apple again.

Dick smiled at him. “Tell me more about the play. Who ended up with who at the end?”

“That’d be spoiling it.”

“Aw, I’m never going to read it anyway! Please, Jason? I’m curious!”

Jason sighed, hiding his small twitch of a smile behind his apple. “_Well, _it turns out that Viola has a twin brother…”

~

Jason sat on the roof of the orphanage, working his way through the very last act in the entire book. He was reading with a faulty flashlight that he had swiped from the kitchens a couple of months back.

“Hey there, Mr. Literature!”

Jason bit his lower lip and turned around. “Robin,” he said with a nod. He closed the book and held it close to his chest. He cleared his throat before shifting to turn his entire body towards Robin.

“Do you… like the book?” Robin asked, almost shyly.

Jason shrugged. “It’s… It’s good,” he said, trying to sound casual about how he really felt when he first found the book. “A cliché present for someone who says they literature, but… appreciated.”

Robin smiled. “In that case, mission accomplished for me!”

“Are you wanting it back?” Jason asked reluctantly, honestly not wanting to part with the book.

“Oh, no!” Robin laughed. “It’s all yours.”

“But-”

“It’s a present, Jason. I wouldn’t read it anyway. Shakespeare isn’t my thing. You’d make better use of it than I would.”

Jason looked down at the book in his arms. A flush of happiness flowed through him. He looked up again and gave Robin a smile, tilting his head to the side. “Thanks,” he said. “I- I really do like it.”

Robin opened his mouth, and he looked like he wanted to say something. But then, he just closed his mouth and nodded. “I’m happy you do,” he said.

~

“Hi, Jay! How was your test last period?” Dick asked, sitting down in front of Jason.

Jason sighed. “It went fine,” he said with a shrug. “I barely finished in time. Didn’t get a chance to check my answers.”

“Aw,” Dick said sympathetically, pulling out his lunch. “I’m sure you did great though!” he said. “No Shakespeare today?” he teased when Jason made no move to pull out his book.

“Well, I thought that it would be rude to read and ignore you,” Jason said, shrugging casually. “Besides, I finished it over the weekend.”

“Really?” Dick asked. “And it only took you, what, two weeks?”

Jason rolled his eyes. “I’m in high school, Grayson. I don’t have all afternoon to read, unlike you.”

“_Rude_,” Dick laughed. “Just because I don’t read at all does not mean I have all afternoon open.”

“What _do _you do all afternoon?” Jason asked curiously.

Dick gasped. “You’re asking about _me?_ After _two _weeks of pursuing this friendship, and Jason Todd finally asks about _me_.”

“Asshole,” Jason grumbled. “And we’re not friends.”

“Then what are we? Acquaintances? School mates? _Something more than friends?_” Dick wiggled his eyebrows comically.

Jason gave him a glare. “Mutuals with a few courses in common.”

Dick groaned. “Only _you _can make our friendship sound so- so _clinical_.”

“Thanks,” Jason said dryly. “It’s a talent.”

“Anyway,” Dick said. “I do lots of stuff in my afternoons. I play video games, help Alfred bake cookies, hang out with friends, do homework.”

“Sounds fun,” Jason said, trying to sound uninterested, but there was a wry note to his voice.

“Yeah,” Dick said. “It’s nice. But it’s pretty lonely at times.” They lapsed into silence for a few seconds. Then, Dick spoke up again. “Hey, are you going to the dance?”

“Hm?” Jason asked, poking his fish sticks with the fork, grimacing as it fell apart under the slightest pressure. “Oh, nah. Not interested in dances.”

“You should come!” Dick said. “It could be fun, you know."

“I don’t like people.”

“But you like _me_.”

“No, I really don’t.”

“Aw,” Dick teased. “So harsh. You wound me, Jason. But seriously, you should go to the dance.”

“Are you going?” Jason asked.

Dick nodded.

“Then you have fun for me,” Jason said. “I’m going to stay home and read.”

Dick sighed. “But Jason, you should get _out _more. Let’s go together, as friends!”

“I don’t have anything appropriate to wear,” Jason said dully, hoping it was a good enough excuse.

“You can borrow something of mine,” Dick said excitedly. “_Please?”_

“I don’t have the money to buy a ticket.”

“I’ll pay for you,” Dick immediately offered.

Jason glared at him.

“It’s not _charity_,” Dick said. “I’m forcing you to come with me, so technically, I should pay, right?”

Jason opened his mouth to argue again.

Dick just shushed him with a finger on Jason's lips, much to the boy's annoyance. “It’s _nothing_, Jay. Seriously. You’re my friend, as much as you wish to deny it. I’m just being a nice friend.”

Jason stared at him for a long time, his eyes narrowing. Dick stared back unabashed.

“Fine,” Jason gritted out. “I’ll go to the dance with you.”

~

A week later, the night of the dance arrived, and Jason was honestly a little excited.

Dick had been talking nonstop about the dance every single chance they got, and while Jason had pretended to be extremely annoyed by it, some of Dick’s excitement had rubbed off on him.

Jason walked two and a half miles in a dress shirt, bowtie, and slacks to the school. He then stashed his shoes into his backpack and shoved that into his locker. He grabbed the nicer, black dress shoes and slipped them on. They were a bit big for his feet, but he did not mind all that much.

He waited at the front of the school, keeping his eyes peeled for Dick.

Dick had said he might be a little bit late, seeing that he actually lived quite far from the school. So Jason waited patiently.

When everyone else had headed inside, Dick still had yet to arrive. Jason kept waiting, trying not to make assumptions so quickly.

The night grew colder, and Jason could hear the muted music coming from inside the school. He was the only one still standing outside. Jason counted five more minutes in his head, dragging the seconds for much longer than they were worth.

Still, Dick did not show up.

Jason smiled wryly. What did he honestly expect?

But Jason did not feel like walking home. He did not want to go back to that stupid orphanage, with stupid Mrs. Witherspoon, and the stupid little crybaby kids. Not for the first time, Jason considered just running away and never going back.

But he did not. He could not. Jason needed to stay at the orphanage in order to keep going to school. But the second he turned eighteen, he was allowed to go out on his own and do whatever the heck he wanted. Jason was really looking forward to that second.

Jason would suffer through this now, and then he would be free.

Besides, Robin’s book was still back at the orphanage.

So Jason went around the side of the school and found a way to climb up onto the roof. He sat down, not caring if he got the clothes dirty. Serves Dick right anyway.

Jason leaned back against the concrete wall, and he closed his eyes. He listened to the sounds of the night - the distant sounds of traffic, the dull dance music, the gentle rustling of wind through the trees, and the lightest crunching of gravel underfoot.

Jason opened his eyes as Robin dropped down next to him.

“Hey,” Robin said. “You’re dressed fancy to be sitting alone on a rooftop. Mind having some company?” he asked.

Jason shrugged half-heartedly. “Whatever,” he said. “Not like you’ll listen to me if I told you to go away.”

“You had a school dance tonight?” Robin asked.

Jason did not say anything.

“And… let me guess, she left you?”

Jason gave a huff of laughter. “Yeah, he did.”

“Oh.” Robin tapped his gloved fingers against his bare knee. “I’m sorry, Jason. You deserve better.”

“Well, can’t say I didn’t expect it.”

“No, you really do deserve better than that asshole,” Robin assured. “Did he even text you to explain?”

“Don’t have a phone. Orphan.”

“Ah, right,” Robin sighed. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Then, Robin reached beside him and handed a rose to Jason.

“What’s this?” Jason asked, staring at the flower.

“I… found it,” Robin said slowly. “And I picked it up. Think someone dropped it, and… it’s a pretty flower, so…”

Jason laughed softly and took the flower. He glanced at Robin, who refused to look in Jason’s direction.

“Suuuure,” Jason said. He twisted the stem of the rose between his thumb and forefinger. “I’m not really… mad at him, you know?”

“Who?” Robin asked.

“Dick. The friend who convinced me to go to the dance with him, but never showed up.”

Robin snorted. “Some friend _he _is.”

“He’s actually a really nice person. A bit enthusiastic and overbearing, maybe, but good. I think you’d like him.”

Robin gave Jason a look. “Why would I like him?” he asked.

Jason shrugged. “You guys are the same: happy, cheerful, stupidly insistent on being my friend.”

“Hm,” Robin hummed. “And would you consider me to be your friend?”

Jason pressed a fingernail into the stem of the rose. It left an indent. “Yeah,” he finally said. “You’re my friend.”

Robin smiled at him, soft and sweet. Jason was caught off guard by the smile. Robin looked kind of… cute. Not in a childish way, but in the way that the lamp light caught the not-quite-sharp contours of his face that made his face look almost ethereal.

Their shoulders bumped into each other, but neither of them moved away. Jason barely dared to breathe in case his breath disturbed the delicate air between them.

Robin’s face was really close now, and Jason could almost feel his pupils dilating to try to see all of Robin’s face at once. He knew his cheeks were heated and red, but he did not know if it was because Robin was so close to him or because it was cold. Maybe it was both.

Robin’s lips were warm and soft, and Jason almost startled because they felt almost hot against his own, colder lips.

Jason’s heart was beating like crazy in his chest because Robin was practically in his lap, his nose tickling Jason’s cheek, and he was _kissing Jason_.

The kiss lasted for only a few seconds, but for Jason, it was an eternity – a warm, soft, floaty eternity that Jason just wanted to float in forever. It was really, _really _nice.

Suddenly, Robin jerked back, moving a hand to his ear. After a second, he grimaced.

“Yeah,” Robin said. “Got it, B. Sorry, I’m on my way.” Robin turned his gaze to Jason. “I… gotta go,” he said, making a vague gesture behind him.

“Uh-huh,” Jason said in a dazed voice.

Robin gave Jason an amused smile. He took Jason’s hand, the one without the rose, and gently kissed his knuckles before getting to his feet and taking off at a run towards the edge of the building. He gave Jason one last wave before flipping over the edge and disappearing into the night.

Jason sat there for a long time, staring at the space where Robin had leapt out of sight. Very, very slowly, Jason brought trembling fingers up to his lips, feeling for the ghost of his first kiss.

With the Boy Wonder of all people.

Maybe his night had not been all that bad after all.

Jason could not help the stupid smile that spread across his face. He clutched the rose tightly and held it to his chest, trying to calm the erratic pounding of his heart.


	3. Forgiveness

“Jason, I am _so_ sorry, I-”

Jason grabbed his bag and stood up. He stormed across the classroom and sat in a different seat, next to the window and the seat next to him was also occupied.

Dick tried to follow, but the teacher walked inside and the class settled.

Throughout the entire period, Dick tried turning around and catching Jason’s eye, but Jason kept his eyes pinned firmly ahead of him.

As soon as the bell rang, Jason bolted towards the door. He sat at the very front of the classroom in creative writing. Unfortunately, Dick sat down right next to him.

Jason grabbed his books and started doing work, ignoring every attempt that Dick made at apologizing.

“_Please_, Jay. Just let me explain! I swear I did not mean to leave you at the dance. It was an asshole move, I know, but I wanted to text you and explain, but you didn’t have a phone, and when I got to the school hours later, you weren’t there anymore.” Dick leaned over the aisle and touched Jason’s arm.

Jason jerked his arm away and continued writing.

“My- My dad got sick okay? He had to go to the hospital, and- and our butler had the night off. But I drove here as soon as I could, and I know I was several hours late, and you were gone, but _please _understand, Jay! It was out of my control.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “Sure, whatever,” he said gruffly. It was an unreasonable response, especially since Jason really could not blame Dick for helping his dad out. But Jason had been pissed all weekend, and he was not about to stop now.

Dick looked like he wanted to say more, but the class started, and Jason was glad their teacher was extremely strict about talking in class.

At lunch, Jason did not go to their usual table. He took his lunch outside to the football field and sat under a tree. He almost made it all the way through lunch before Dick found him.

“Why are you avoiding me?” Dick asked, sitting down in front of Jason.

Jason did not look up from his homework.

“Jason… I really am so sorry! Please don’t be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad,” Jason said in an even voice.

“Then why are you ignoring me?”

Jason just shrugged.

“Jay…”

“I just want to be alone sometimes, okay?” Jason said with a heavy sigh. “I just need time to think, and I can’t fucking think when you’re always around, crowding my fucking space!”

Dick looked hurt. “So you are mad.”

“No! I’m not!” Jason slammed his textbook shut and shoved it aside. He glared at the trees at the edge of the school property. Then, he let out a slow breath. “I’m not… really mad,” Jason admitted. “A little bit. But… I forgive you, and I understand your reason, but I need you to leave me alone for a day or two. To calm down. Please.”

“Jason…”

“Please, Dick.”

Dick chewed on his lip for a few moments before he nodded. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll- I’ll give you some space.”

“Thank you,” Jason said.

Dick stood, and he hesitated a second before walking away.

Jason sagged in relief and thumped his head against the trunk of the tree. “Damn it.”

Ever since the night of the dance, Jason had been thinking nonstop about everything that had happened.

First and foremost was Robin’s kiss. Jason had gone to bed that night, his face blank of emotions. But as soon as he turned his back to his roommate, Jason smiled. He was still feeling extremely giddy inside. When Robin had kissed him, it had felt nice. It was better than nice.

But did that mean he _liked _Robin? He did not know anything about Robin – not the boy’s name, not the boy’s age, not what he did aside from being Robin, not why Robin was so insistent on befriending Jason.

Was he gay? Bi? Jason had never really thought about his sexuality before. It had never really come up. Sure, he has been out on the streets, offering himself to creeps, but it was not like Jason did it because he _liked_ it. He just really needed the money. 

Did Robin like him? It _was_ Robin who had kissed him in the first place. Right after Jason had admitted that he thought of Robin as a _friend_. Maybe Robin was one of those weirdos that kissed his friends. Maybe he was that weirdo who kissed all his _guy_ friends too. On the lips, at that.

Jason almost laughed aloud. Yes, he was just thinking too hard about it. Robin was a hero. Jason was a nobody. That kiss meant absolutely nothing, and Jason should really just forget about it.

Second, Jason was still hurt inside about Dick’s harsh rejection. He had assured Dick that he was not mad, but in reality, Jason was still a little bit bitter about it. He could not let go of the fact that Dick had seemed so nice and had dragged Jason into agreeing to go to the dance with him, even though Jason did not want to go in the first place. Then, he just did not show up?

Jason was aware that Dick’s excuse was kind of valid. His father was sick, and Dick had to take him to the hospital. Jason should be understanding. After all, what was more important as a whole – Jason’s feelings and the fact that he got stood up at the school dance, or the fact that Gotham’s prince was sick and needed to be rushed to a hospital?

Jason sighed softly. He really needed to stop thinking about everything. He took a deep breath and let his head fall backwards again, the bark of the tree digging harder into his scalp.

He could forgive Dick. Dick was his only actual friend at the school after all, and Jason would be lying if he said he would not feel lonely if Dick stopped talking to him. But Jason would never actually say that aloud.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and Jason grabbed his hastily discarded textbook, dusted it off, and shoved it into his bag. He grabbed his barely touched lunch, dumped it into the trash with more force than necessary, and started off towards his class.

~

Two days later, Jason walked into his creative writing class and silently slid into the seat next to Dick.

Dick stopped tapping his pen against the table in surprise. Out of the corner of his eyes, Jason saw Dick smile minutely, then return to tapping his pen, with a bit more of a syncopated rhythm than before.

They did not speak throughout the class, but after the bell rang, Jason did not zoom out of the classroom as he had in days past.

Dick’s smile only grew when Jason shouldered his backpack and waited patiently for Dick to put his pencils away.

“Am I forgiven?” Dick asked as soon as they stepped out of the classroom.

Jason scoffed quietly but could not help but smile. “Yeah,” he said. “I- You- I’ve gotten my time,” he finally settled on. “I’m okay now.”

“Great!” Dick said. “Because it’s been loud at lunch without you there,” he said with a suffering sigh. “People keep coming up to me and asking me for things, and ugh, it’s just too much.”

“Asking you for things?” Jason asked out of curiosity. He followed Dick into the cafeteria, towards their usual table, which was surprisingly full.

“See?” Dick asked, gesturing to the crowds around the table. “I’ve been kissed _three times_ already!”

Jason let out a weak laugh. “Mr. Attention-Seeker doesn’t want the attention anymore?”

“Jason, don’t be mean to me!” Dick whined. “C’mon, let’s go sit under that tree. It’ll be nice, like a picnic! I’ve always wanted to go on a picnic in the park, but my dad isn’t much of a sit down on bug-infested grass kind of person. He says it’ll ruin his suit.”

Jason smiled. He could not help himself. It was nice to be back with Dick. Talkative, happy, always-smiling Dick Grayson.

“Hey, Jay,” Dick chirped once they had plopped down under the tree. “Have you ever been bowling?” Before Jason could answer, and the answer was obviously _no_, Dick continued. “We should go bowling together! Today! After school!”

“What?” Jason asked, blinking dumbly at Dick. “Today? But I’m…”

“Don’t say busy,” Dick said with a pointed look. “You’re never _busy_, really.”

“I was going to say I don’t know how to bowl,” Jason said under his breath.

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you!” Dick said. “It’s easy, and even if you’re no good, it’s fun. I’m not really good either. Bruce took me a few times, but I have yet to win a single game against him.”

“Your dad bowls?” Jason asked, cocking his head. “Huh.”

“Of course he does,” Dick said. “Why would you think he doesn’t?” he asked with genuine curiosity.

“Nothing, nothing,” Jason said with a wave of his hand. “Just ‘cuz he’s Bruce Wayne, y’know. All you hear about him is that he likes partying and drinking and… sorry,” he said with a small wince.

Dick laughed. “It’s okay,” he said. “Common misconception. But really, he’s not that bad! A bit distant at first, but he’s really not as bad as the press makes him out to be.”

Jason smiled tightly. “That’s good,” he said. “One deadbeat dad between the two of us is enough.”

Dick did not respond to that. “So… you’ll join me after school then?”

Jason pretended to be reluctant. “Fine,” he said. “I suppose I don’t really have an excuse not to.”

~

Jason would be lying if he said he did not have fun at the bowling alley with Dick.

A few things surprised Jason while he was there. One, bowling balls weighed a lot more than he expected, and it fucking hurts to have one dropped on your toes. Two, Dick Grayson can bowl a perfect game, and Jason had no doubt that he would have if Jason did not point out the fact he indeed did not suck at bowling. Dick purposely “struggled” a few times just to make Jason feel better. And three, Jason found that he was not lousy at bowling either. Sure, he was no Dick Grayson, but he thought he did pretty well for his first time, and Dick certainly believed so as well.

“You’re amazing!” Dick cheered when Jason came back to sit down, after bowling his second strike in a row.

Jason blushed and shook his head. “Says you.” He watched as Dick stood up to grab a ball. Dick’s face scrunched slightly in concentration, and he send the electric blue bowling ball rolling down the lane.

It also knocked down all the pins at once.

“See?” Jason said.

Dick grinned at him. “Well, I’ve been playing for years now. I certainly was not this good when I started. You’ve got some real talent, Jason.”

Jason hated how Dick’s compliments made his face heat up and his heart thump a little harder. Yet at the same time, he loved it. He glanced up to see Dick’s smile, and he could not help but smile as well.

~

After three weeks of similar days like that, Jason was starting to get frustrated. Dick would invite him out all the time to hang out. It was like Dick only had one friend – Jason. But he talked like he had many other friends aside from Jason.

Additionally, Jason could not help but feel like their little get-togethers were so much more than “hanging out”. He was catching feelings, and Jason knew he had to stop letting himself do this, or he would experience his first heartbreak.

Jason had taken to sitting on the rooftop of the orphanage after these “hang out” sessions with Dick. That particular night Jason had come back from a dinner and a movie (Dick had paid for everything, again) when someone landed on the rooftop behind him.

“Hey, Jason!” came Robin’s voice.

Jason sighed heavily and did not bother turning around. Robin sat down next to him. “Hey,” Jason said quietly.

“What’s wrong?” Robin asked, frowning at Jason’s dismal expression. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.”

“Is it that Dick guy again?” Robin asked. When Jason did not answer, Robin’s gaze dropped to his lap. “I’m sorry he’s such an asshole,” he offered after a moment.

“Nah,” Jason said with a shrug. “It’s okay. I need to get over him.”

“What did he do this time?” Robin asked softly.

Jason laughed humorlessly. “That’s the thing. He didn’t do anything. Nothing- Nothing that makes me angry at him. In fact, he’s been extremely sweet recently.” Jason took a shaky breath. “We hang out after school a lot, and sometimes on the weekends, but… to him, we’re hanging out as friends.”

“And to you?” Robin asked sympathetically.

“It- It feels like a date to me!” Jason said in a frustrated voice. “But I _know _it won’t even work out between us! He’s- He’s _him_, and I’m me.”

“What’s wrong with you?” Robin asked, frowning. “I think you’re great, Jason.”

Jason snorted and rolled his eyes. “You’re just saying that.”

“No, I’m serious!”

“Dude, stop,” Jason said. “You’re not all that different from him either.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Robin asked, bristling. “I thought I was your friend.”

“You are. And so is he. But… he’s Dick Grayson, man. His dad’s _Bruce Wayne_. And you’re- you’re _Batman’s _protégé. You’re Gotham’s hero, Robin! Who am I? Hm? One orphan out of a million in Gotham alone.” He shook his head. “There’s nothing special about me, Rob. But thanks… at least, I can talk to you.”

“Jay…”

Jason shook his head. “Don’t feel sorry for me. I don’t feel sorry for myself. I’m just facing the facts and making stupid wishes.”

“They’re not stupid, Jay,” Robin said quietly. “You deserve someone sweet and kind.”

“Hm,” Jason said. He turned towards Robin. “Hey, you’ve got some time right now?”

“Sure,” Robin said. “Until Bats calls, that is.”

“Distract me, Robin,” Jason breathed, leaning in a tiny bit, hoping Robin would understand what he was getting at. “I want to forget.”

“Forget what, Jason?” Robin asked, leaning in as well. Their lips were now only a couple of inches apart.

“Everything, Rob. Make me forget everything.”

Robin grabbed Jason’s hand, pulling him in the rest of the way. Their lips clashed together, lips parting, and tongues meeting in the middle. Robin’s lips were incredibly soft and strangely moisturized. Robin moaned, and the sound left Jason’s lips tingling. He pulled back for a quick breath.

“Ah, Robin-” Jason gasped, the older boy’s breath hot on his wet lips. Jason grabbed the sides of Robin’s face and kissed him hard again.

Robin moaned softly into the kiss again, pushing his hips forward against Jason’s, somehow fluidly sliding into Jason’s lap.

Even though it was quite cold outside, everywhere that Robin touched was hot, and all of Robin just radiated heat. Jason was addicted to that feeling. He rolled his hips back against Robin’s, kissing him even harder, more desperately.

They broke away, and Jason stared into the white lenses of Robin’s domino mask. He wanted to see who was under there, wanted to see his eyes, but Jason knew that was impossible. Like he had mentioned previously, Robin was the city’s hero. He had to keep his identity a secret, and Jason got that.

He just kissed Robin again. As he did this, his hands slipped lower on Robin’s body, his thumbs trailing over the slightly sweaty skin of Robin’s neck, down the skin-tight front of Robin’s leotard, over the pebbled nipples under his shirt, until they came to a rest at Robin’s hips.

Jason’s hands found the clasp of Robin’s utility belt. The second Jason touched it, Robin gasped and pulled back, stepping away.

“Jason,” Robin said, panting. He licked his wet lips, and Jason’s eyes followed that movement. “We- We can’t.”

“Huh? Robin-”

“No, Jay,” Robin said, stepping backwards again. “We- _I _can’t. I’m sorry, Jason…”

Jason’s gaze dropped. “Nah,” he said, looking away from Robin. A furious blush appeared on his cheeks. He had been stupid to think Robin would go any further with him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… yeah.”

“Jay…”

Jason waved his hand flippantly. He dropped down onto the ledge of the roof again, swinging his legs over the edge. With his back turned to Robin, he did not have to hide his blushing face from him. “Whatever, man. You should probably get going as well. Batman’s going to be looking for you soon, right?”

Robin sighed. “Yeah. Look, Jay-”

“It’s fine, dude. I get it.” He gave Robin half a smile over his shoulder. “Have fun swinging around town. Don’t get beat up to badly, ‘kay?”

Robin did not answer for a second. Then, a gentle weight settled on Jason’s shoulders. Nimble fingers buttoned the yellow flaps together around Jason’s neck.

“Don’t stay out too long, okay?” Robin said softly, his breath ghosting over the shell of Jason’s left ear. “You’ll catch a cold.”

Then, Jason heard the almost silent sound of Robin’s grappling hook flying across the street and teen hero swung out of sight.

Jason waited for a long time there on the roof, just sitting there until the barest hints of light started gracing the sky. Then, Jason pulled Robin’s cape tighter around him, breathing in the smell of Robin. It smelled like Gotham’s streets, the cold night air, a bit of sweat, a hint of blood, and strangely of spiced apples.

Jason headed back into the orphanage, sneaking into his room, where his roommate was dead asleep with his school textbook having fallen onto the ground beside his bed.

Jason unclasped Robin’s cape and hugged it to his chest, wondering where he could hide it. He had already used his only hiding spot under a loose floorboard for his book of Shakespeare plays. In the end, Jason stuffed the cape into his backpack and jumped into bed.

He stared at the wall as the room continued to grow lighter and lighter, his fingers touching his lips.

Jason allowed himself the slightest of smiles and closed his eyes.


	4. The Little Capeless Crusader

“Hey, you! You’re an orphan, aren’t you?”

Jason rolled his eyes and continued walking, not turning around. He pretended not to hear the boys calling at him.

“Hey! I’m talking to you! What are you, deaf?” The voices grew closer.

Jason walked a bit faster.

He felt a hand grab his shoulder and push him to the ground. Jason landed against his backpack with a grunt. The edges of his textbooks jabbed into his back.

“What’s your problem?” Jason spat. “So what if I am?”

The boys snickered. There were three of them. Their leader seemed to be the tall blond who seemed to be trying too hard to sneer properly. “Well, since you’re an orphan, you won’t have lunch money… Give me your homework instead. I didn’t do mine.”

“We don’t even have any classes in common, you fucker,” Jason growled, moving to stand up.

“I don’t care,” the blond boy said, shoving him back down. “Give me your homework!”

“I didn’t do it either,” Jason said with a shrug, crossing his arms and staying on the ground.

The blond boy’s eyes narrowed. “You think you’re so tough, don’t you? Let’s teach him a lesson.”

The other two reached down and grabbed Jason’s arms. Jason kicked and scratched. He managed to punch one kid in the stomach and kick the other in the shins. However, since he was a lot smaller than they were, they ripped his backpack off his back and pulled him to his feet. The blond boy sneered at him again, laughing. He stooped down to open Jason’s backpack.

“Don’t touch my stuff!” Jason yelled, squirming against the other two holding him. Panic started rising in him. Robin’s cape was in his backpack.

The blond boy did not heed him at all, instead, pulling the backpack open. He turned it over, dumping all of Jason’s things down onto the ground. The last thing to fall out was Robin’s cape, which Jason had stuffed down deep under everything else.

The blond boy kicked Jason’s textbooks and notebooks, ripping the pages from a few. His foot caught on Robin’s cape, so he grabbed it and examined it.

He started laughing. “What are you, a sissy? Do you play dress-up in your free time?” the blond boy asked.

“Uh, hey, dude, I don’t think that’s just any cape,” the boy on Jason’s right said. He let go of Jason’s arm, eyes wide. “Dude, holy shit, are you- are you-”

“Oh my god, you’re right,” the other boy said, quickly letting go of Jason as well. “You’ve- You’ve got Robin’s cape! You must be Robin!”

“_Him?!_” the blond boy sneered. “Look at him! There’s no way he’s Robin!”

“But he’s got the cape-”

“So what?” the blond asked, throwing the cape to the ground and grinding his heel on it. That action made Jason see red. His hands curled into fists, and his teeth ground together. “Maybe Robin lost his cape, and this kid was just lucky enough to find it. After all, look how _puny _he is. There’s no way he can pack a punch like _Robin’s_.”

The blond boy stuck his face into Jason’s, taunting him. He was still standing on Robin’s cape, the yellow now stained with muddy shoe marks. Jason let out an angry cry and punched the boy in the face as hard as he could.

The boy’s head whipped to the side, and he went to clutch his cheek.

The other two quickly backed up. “Hey- Hey, man,” one of them said. “We don’t want any trouble, okay?” They quickly ran off. Jason seethed down at the blond boy, who also scooted back away from him.

“What the fuck?!” the boy screeched. “I’m- I’m going to report you, Robin or not!”

With that, he ran off after his friends.

Jason watched them go, angrier than ever. He wanted to chase the boy down and punch him again and again. They had no _right_.

Instead, Jason bent down and started putting his destroyed things back into his backpack, stuffing Robin’s cape in there as well.

Then, he slung it over his shoulder and started towards the place he had recently started sitting at for lunch, mostly to avoid Dick. In the halls, he was stopped by one of the assistant principals.

“Jason Todd?” the man said, looking at Jason disapprovingly over his glasses.

Jason frowned down at the ground, but nodded.

“Come with me.”

Jason had no choice but to follow the assistant principal to the front office, where he sat on a bench outside, waiting for the principal to come back from his lunch break. Jason hugged his dirty backpack to his chest protectively.

Students passed him in the halls, and Jason could hear them grow silent when they approached. The whispering started up when they thought he was out of earshot.

Rumors spread quickly at the school. No doubt the three boys were telling their renditions of what happened, and Jason knew for sure that another handful of people had seen the fight go down from a distance.

“Jason?”

Jason looked up to see Dick standing there, eyes wide. Dick looked up and down the hall and quickly sat down next to him.

“Are you okay?” Dick asked in a low voice. “I- I heard you got in a fight-” His hand touched Jason’s thigh.

“I’m fine,” Jason grumbled, pushing Dick’s hand away. “I was the one who punched them.”

“But someone said you got beat up badly-”

“The school’s rumor mill never stops working, does it?” Jason asked dryly.

“Sorry,” Dick said. He went silent for a second. “So… you don’t have Robin’s cape?”

Jason hugged his backpack harder. “Are you going to laugh at me as well?”

“No!” Dick said. “Of course not, Jay! I’ve been looking for you since I heard about the fight. People- People have been saying that… you’re Robin.”

Jason snorted. “You really think that _I _could be Robin, Dick? Have you seen me?” Jason laughed humorlessly. “You set me up against some big baddie, and the best I could do is head-butt his crotch.”

Dick let out a soft laugh. “You’re not that short, Jay,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll fare quite well. After all, one of the boys does have quite the impressive bruise on his face, and you seem scathe-free.”

Jason had to remind himself not to relax around Dick. Though he said he had forgiven him, he was not too sure yet.

“What do you want, Dick?” Jason asked with a soft sigh.

Dick’s eyes widened. “I was- I was genuinely worried! Jay…”

“I know,” Jason grumbled. “Sorry. I’m just… not feeling great right now.”

Dick looked like he wanted to say something. He bit his lower lip, and Jason fought the urge to reach up and ease Dick’s lip out with his thumb. Finally, Dick sighed. “Can I give you a hug?”

Jason hesitated for a second. “Yeah,” he finally said. Dick’s arms wrapped around his shoulders, and Jason leaned into the touch contently. “Thanks,” he said after a second, already feeling better.

Just the principal came down the hall. Dick pulled away, and Jason sat up straighter. He pulled his backpack tighter to his chest. “Mr. Todd?” the principal said. Jason stood. “This way please.”

As Jason made his way into the principal’s office, Jason turned to Dick and gave him a glance.

Dick gave him a little thumbs up and a smile. Jason gave him half a smile back. Then, the door shut behind him.

~

After school, Jason found Dick waiting for him outside his classroom.

“What are you doing here?” Jason asked.

“Waiting for you, duh,” Dick said, rolling his eyes. “C’mon, you don’t have anything this afternoon, right? Who am I kidding, you never do anything aside from study after school. You should come over to my house today.”

“Huh?” Jason asked, staring at Dick like he had grown a second head. “I… excuse me?”

Dick smiled widely at him. “What? Don’t want to be seen with me outside of school?” he teased.

“No, I just- seriously?”

“Sure,” Dick said. He put an arm around Jason’s shoulders, to which Jason immediately scowled and shrugged off. Dick did not seem bothered by it.

“Look,” Jason said with a soft sigh. “You don’t- You don’t have to feel obligated to be nice to me.”

“Jason!” Dick exclaimed. “Why do you keep thinking I don’t want to be your friend?”

Jason glared at the floor as he followed Dick down the halls. “Because you’re Dick Grayson. You can be friends with anyone in the school. Why be friends with the weird orphan kid?”

Dick glared at him. “Hey, in case you forgot, I’m an orphan too, technically. And ex-orphan. An adopted orphan.”

“It’s different,” Jason grumbled. Then, he let out a soft sigh. “Look, I’m sorry. I just- I have a lot going through my head right now, and I don’t mean to take it out on you. I just thought you wouldn’t want to be my friend anymore after all the… rumors about me today.”

Dick winced. “Yeah… I did hear about those. I’m sorry, Jay. You don’t- You don’t deserve any of that, whether you’re Robin or not. And for the record, if you really were Robin, it would be _really_ cool. Robin’s… kinda my idol.”

“Really?” Jason asked. He smiled the smallest bit, remembering to tell Robin that the next time they met. Then, he blushed the slightest. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Robin’s kinda my idol as well.”

Dick smiled and nodded at the door. “So, my place?”

Jason let out a soft huff. “Fine,” he said, feeling a globe of happiness bubble up in his chest. “I guess so.”

~

All afternoon, Dick and Jason played video games.

Correction: Dick played video games while Jason watched and tried to learn.

“I can’t do this,” Jason said. “I’m going to end up accidentally let the controller go flying at your TV.” He unstrapped the Wii remote from his wrist and tossed it onto Dick’s bed. He sat down and watched as Dick won the tennis match because Jason’s avatar stopped moving.

Dick laughed and unstrapped his own remote. He plopped down next to Jason. “You were doing great!” he said, pointing at the final scores, showing how Jason had lost by a huge margin.

“Funny,” Jason said with a roll of his eyes. He smiled though.

Dick nudged Jason in the ribs. “Aw, you’ll get better. You’ll just have to keep coming over and playing with me!”

Jason sighed. “And when will we do homework, Dickie?” he asked. “Unless Mr. Grayson doesn’t _do _his homework?”

Dick gasped in faux offense. “Of course I do my homework!” he said. “I’m going to do it after dinner.”

Jason looked out the window and saw that the sun was setting quickly. “Oh. I should probably go,” he said with a small wince. He had probably already missed dinner. Jason did not mind that part too much. If he was hungry, he would just buy himself something from a nearby liquor store.

“I thought you were staying for dinner,” Dick said. “Stay, Jason.”

“I…”

“Please?” Dick asked softly, his hand going to Jason’s wrist, and wrapping around it. “I swear, one taste of Alfred’s cooking, and you’ll never want to leave.”

Jason narrowed his eyes at Dick’s hopeful face. He could not say no to that. “Fine,” he said, pretending to be reluctant.

Dick laughed gleefully, and he pumped his hand into the air. “Yes!” Then, he gasped. “Oh! Maybe you can stay the night as well?”

“Yeah… I don’t think that’s possible,” Jason said. “Mrs. Witherspoon is-”

“What if Bruce Wayne called Mrs. Witherspoon and personally asked for Jason Todd to stay the night?”

Jason’s eyes nearly bugged out. “He’d- He’d do that?”

“Of course!” Dick laughed. He stood up and pulled Jason up with him. “Come to dinner now, and when he gets back, I’ll ask him to call!”

~

Jason met Dick’s family.

There was Alfred, the bulter/grandfather. He greeted Jason with a kind smile and a little bow. Jason kind of stared in shock until Dick laughed and pulled him away.

Bruce Wayne came home, and Jason was introduced to him too. The tall man gripped Jason’s hand in a firm handshake, a business man’s handshake, not a flirtatious playboy’s handshake.

Bruce asked them about school while he removed his suit jacket and loosened his tie. Dick had no issues blabbering about school, and Jason just followed behind him quietly as they headed towards the dining room for dinner.

Jason observed their interactions, and he found that he was kind of jealous.

Even though none of them were actually related, they were still a family. It was obvious in the way Alfred chided Bruce, and the way Dick teased his dad about things. Jason wished he had a family like that.

As they were sitting around the table, and Jason was quietly munching on his salad while listening to Dick talk, Bruce addressed him.

“How was your day at school, Jason?”

Jason blinked in surprise. He looked up at Bruce, a little bit startled by how intense the man’s stare was.

“Um, it was okay,” Jason said after a second’s silence. “Nothing too eventful.”

“Oh? Dick told me you had some trouble with bullies?”

Jason threw Dick a half-hearted glare, and Dick just smiled sheepishly.

“It was nothing, Mr. Wayne,” Jason said, trying for a strained smile. “The situation was handled properly.”

“So you didn’t get in a fight?”

“Bruce,” Dick said. “Why do you always feel the need to scare my friends? Jason’s _fine_.”

“I wasn’t worried about Jason,” Bruce said lightly. “I was just wondering if there was any need for me to go talk to those bullies’ parents.”

Jason’s face heated up. “There is certainly no need for that, Mr. Wayne. But thanks for offering.”

Bruce gave him a small smile. “If you insist.”

“B…!” Dick said with an exasperated sigh.

“What?” Bruce asked. “I like him way better than the _last_ person you decided to befriend.”

Dick’s face burned red, and Jason wondered who Dick’s friend was.

Dick said nothing to elaborate, and he did not look at Jason either. Jason decided not to ask.

Later that night, they did their homework together. Jason half expected Dick to bother him while they did homework, but he worked in silence until they were both done. Then, they got hot chocolate, went for a swim in the Manor’s indoor _and_ heated pool, and finally, as it was getting late, Dick showed Jason to the guest room.

“I’ll just be down the hall,” Dick said. “Just come into my room if you need anything. Good night, Jason!”

Jason looked around the huge guest room, the most lavish bedroom he had ever stepped foot in. “G’night, Dick,” he said.

Jason let his backpack drop to the floor by the door. He saw the corner of Robin’s yellow cape peeking out of the side. Thinking about the Boy Wonder made a small smile stretch across Jason’s face.

He climbed into the large bed, so much more comfortable than the bed he had in the orphanage, and he fell asleep happy for once.

~

When Jason woke up the next morning, he found that the cape was gone from his backpack.

He sat across from Dick at the breakfast table, and he stared hard at the boy who chattered on endlessly like he had all the energy in the world.

Jason just smiled fondly, and he did not mention the disappearance of the cape.


	5. Save the Date

“You okay, Jason?” Dick asked worriedly on their way to school.

“Hm?” Jason glanced up at him. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”

Dick frowned slightly. “Really? You were awfully quiet today during breakfast. Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine, Dick,” Jason said. “Really.”

“Okay,” Dick said. “So, since it’s Friday, do you want to come over again after school? We can stay up later than last night.”

Jason shook his head. “It’s alright,” he said. “I shouldn’t test Mrs. Witherspoon’s patience too much. But thanks for letting me stay last night, Dick. It was fun.”

“Yeah…” Dick said slowly, his eyebrows furrowed. Then, he smiled at Jason. “Anytime you want to stay over though, you’re more than welcome to.”

~

“Hey there, Jay! Missed you last night,” Robin chirped as he landed on the orphanage rooftop, where Jason was sitting, just staring off into space. “Why so upset again?”

Jason glanced at him for a long time. “You got your cape back,” he noted.

Robin laughed. “Nah, I’ve got extras,” he said.

“Hm,” Jason hummed. He continued to stare at Robin. “Hey, can you take some time off patrol? Like half an hour?”

“Umm, probably,” Robin said. “What’s up?”

Jason stood up and brushed his pants off. “Take me out on a date,” he demanded. “I want to go somewhere.”

“A- A date?” Robin stammered. “With me?”

Jason rolled his eyes. “No, with the Joker- Yes, you!”

Robin blushed. “But I thought you had a crush on Dick Grayson?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Jason sighed. “But he’s kinda an asshole,” Jason said with a small smile. “One date, Robin?”

Robin was silent for a second. Then, he nodded. “Yeah, okay.” He gestured for Jason to come over. He wrapped an arm tightly around Jason’s waist and pulled out his grapple gun. “Chilidogs?”

Jason put his arms around Robin’s shoulders. “Sounds perfect,” he said.

Robin smiled, and Jason could feel the heat radiating from the teen hero’s body. “Hold on tight, Jay,” Robin whispered before leaping off of the building and taking them deep into the night.

~

“So,” Robin said softly once they were settled with their chilidogs and drinks. “What happened with you and Dick?”

Jason chuckled. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Robin turned and looked at him. “I mean, it’s bothering you,” Robin said with a shrug. “You don’t _have _to tell me, but I don’t like it when something’s bothering you. You just look kinda sad.”

“Don’t make me sound pathetic,” Jason snorted, sipping his Coke. Then, he sighed heavily. “Dick… He’s nice. He’s really, _really _nice. Great person at school, great person outside of school, great person at home. He’s just a great person in general.”

“So you like him,” Robin said slowly. “You’ve already established that. What’s wrong now though?”

Jason smiled, looking off into the distance with that strange smile on his face. “He’s not an honest person.”

Robin sat there silently for a few seconds. “What do you mean?” he asked. Jason did not answer. He just sat there silently, smiling off into the distance, so Robin rephrased his question. “Then who is an honest person, Jason?”

Jason turned to look at him this time. “You’re not exactly an honest person either, Rob.”

Without giving Robin a chance to respond, Jason leaned forward and pressed a long kiss to Robin’s stunned lips. Gently, he coaxed Robin to respond to his kiss. Robin moaned quietly and leaned in closer to Jason.

Their kiss grew more heated and more obscene. Jason set aside their drinks, and he climbed into Robin’s lap, straddling the other boy. He gave Robin a wicked smile before bending down and kissing him again, adding a bit of hips this time.

Robin moaned and arched up into Jason reaching up to put his arms around Jason’s shoulders. Jason broke the kiss and tucked his head into Robin’s neck, taking a deep breath.

“You smell good,” he murmured.

“Yeah?” Robin asked, smirking slightly. “I’m glad you think so.”

Jason sat back, with a smirk even bigger than Robin’s. “Yeah,” he said. “You smell like… like vanilla and cocoa butter. Just like Dick Grayson’s favorite shampoo.”

With that, Jason grabbed his drink, slid off of Robin’s lap, and started walking away with a swagger in his step.

“Thanks against for the date, Rob,” Jason called over his shoulder. “See you at school tomorrow!”


	6. Secret

“Hey, you!”

Jason ignored the taunt and continued on his way.

“Everyone says you’re Robin, but I don’t think so because you’re so small you’d be blown away if you tried swinging across buildings!” Uproarious laughter followed.

Jason just rolled his eyes and kept walking. He was actually quite used to it now. And he did not feel the need to defend himself because being called Robin was not a thing to be ashamed of. It meant that he could kick ass.

And even though Jason was not Robin, he could still kick their asses.

A couple times, Jason saw Dick in the hallways, giving him curious glances, but saying nothing. Jason walked by him without giving Dick a second glance. In class, Jason did not talk to Dick more than he had to, and he could tell that Dick was getting increasingly nervous.

Inside however, Jason was rather elated. It was fun to play hard to get, though he knew it was mean to do so. Only for a little bit longer.

When lunch came around, Dick found Jason sitting under their tree, reading, as usual. Jason saw him coming from a while away, so he was able to prepare himself. Dick strode over like he was ready for a confrontation.

Without looking up, Jason said, “You’ve got an off-campus pass, right?” he asked.

“Uhhh, yeah,” Dick said slowly, deflating because he was not expecting that from Jason. “Why? What’s up?”

“Oh, I was just wondering if you could get me food,” Jason said, turning a page in his book. “I’m really craving those chilidogs we had last night. I never got to finish mine.”

Dick stood there for a few seconds, just staring at him. Then, he took a deep breath. “Jason-”

Jason looked up sharply and raised his eyebrows. “Well? Hurry up, Bird Wonder. Lunch ends in half an hour.”

Twenty minutes later, Dick returned with the chilidogs. He set the bag down next to Jason, who had made a significant amount of progress in his novel. Dick sat down next to Jason, unsure of how to approach the subject hanging in the air above them. He waited for Jason to say something.

But Jason did not say anything. He just reached into the bag, pulled out his chilidog and bit into it. Then, he scooted over until he was sitting right next to Dick, their arms brushing and their legs touching. He leaned his head on Dick’s shoulder and continued reading and eating.

The lunch period passed in silence, and Jason never brought up the subject again.

After school, Jason waited for Dick outside his class, something he almost never does.

“Hey,” Jason said, shouldering his backpack. “We’ve got a project in creative writing. And I know you barely got an acceptable score with that last one. We should work together on this one.”

Dick blinked at him. “To…day?”

Jason nodded with certainty. “If you’re not busy.”

“Um, no, I’m not,” Dick said. He started smiling. “Actually, it would be really nice if you helped me.”

“Great. So the library’s open until five-”

“You can come over,” Dick blurted out. “To- To my place, I meant.”

Jason raised his eyebrows. “You wouldn’t mind? I don’t want to intrude.”

Dick smiled wider as he finally allowed himself to relax. “You are never intruding, Jason,” he said. “C’mon, let’s go.”

When Dick drove them back to the Manor, he kept sneaking glances at Jason, who stared straight ahead and said nothing.

“Soooo, um,” Dick took a deep breath. “I’m sure you have questions. You can ask me.”

Jason shrugged. “I actually don’t have questions,” he said. “I’ve been suspecting for a bit, and I’ve had time to get used to the idea.”

“So there’s nothing you want to know? At all?” Dick asked. “I’m giving you a chance to ask any questions you want, and you’re saying there’s _nothing_ at all that you’re burning to ask?”

Jason was quiet for a few beats. “Why panties?”

Dick turned and looked at him. “You’re serious.”

“Yeah,” Jason said. “I mean, Batman wears pants, so why can’t you?”

Dick turned back to look ahead of him. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, not unlike a fish. “I don’t really know,” he said. “I just never considered switching, I guess.”

Jason nodded wordlessly, and he said nothing more until they reached the Manor.

“I’m back, Alfred!” Dick called when they stepped into the foyer. “I brought a friend.”

Alfred appeared from behind a corner. “Ah, Mister Jason.”

Jason gave Alfred a warm smile. “Hello again, Mr. Pennyworth.”

“Just Alfred is fine,” Alfred said, but he was a little bit flattered by Jason’s politeness. “You boys are doing homework, I presume?”

Dick laughed. “Of course, Alfie.”

“Would you care for cookies then?”

“No, thank you, Alfred,” Jason said firmly. “Dick and I actually need to discuss some important things.”

“Ah, I see,” Alfred said quietly, watching as Jason pulled Dick by his wrist up to his room.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Dick started to say, “So what did you want to talk-”

Jason pinned him with a kiss, knocking them both into the door. His hands fisted Dick’s shirt roughly. His tongue ravished Dick’s mouth, not giving the other boy a chance to catch up.

But ever graceful Grayson easily got the rhythm of the rough kissing, and he matched Jason easily. It felt so good to be kissing Dick as Dick, not as Robin.

Even though Jason knew he was kissing Dick last night, somehow the domino mask made it different. Now, it was just so much better, especially now that he can _see _Dick’s every expression and the fluttering of his pretty blue eyes.

Jason’s hands let go of Dick’s shirt, and he started pulling Dick’s shirt out from under his pants. They slipped under the thin cloth, and pressed against Dick’s muscled body.

“Fuck,” Jason whispered, kissing Dick even harder. “Dickie…!”

Suddenly, Dick pushed him away, gently but firmly. “Wait, Jay,” he said, panting a little. “We do have to talk first.”

Jason frowned. “About what? I used it as an excuse to get you up here and kiss you senseless. I’ve been wanting to do it all day.” He started leaning in again.

Dick gave a weak chuckle. “I understand,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you at school too, before you knew I was Robin. But Jay, I think we should set some boundaries.”

“Boundaries?” Jason echoed. “Since when has a free-flying bird like you needed rules?”

Dick gave him a pointed look.

“Fine,” Jason sighed. He stepped back and walked to Dick’s bed, throwing himself down on it. He looked up at the ceiling for a few seconds while Dick also walked over and perched delicately next to him. “Is this where you tell me we can’t be seen together at school?” he asked bitterly.

“What? No! Where did you get that idea, Jay?”

Jason shrugged. “Then what boundaries are you thinking of? I’m not going to tell anyone of your nighttime activities, you know.”

“I know that,” Dick said. “That’s not what I meant. They’re not necessarily boundaries, I guess. I just… I want to know where we stand.”

“What do you mean?” Jason inquired, tilting his head to look at Dick.

“Are we- Are we friends?” Dick asked, wincing a little. “Are we friends who kiss from time to time? Are we-”

“My god, you’re stupid,” Jason sighed. He rolled over and propped his head up with an arm. “Dickie, I like you, if I haven’t made that clear when I regurgitated my feelings about you to Robin. I think you’re good-looking, charming, smart, generous, and,” Jason sighed, rolling his eyes up. “And I think you’re pretty funny.”

Dick cracked a small smile. “You think so?”

Jason pulled a face. “Hnnn, I’m going to regret this, but yes, Dick. I think you’re funny. And I’d like very much to date you, if that’s what you want too.”

Dick’s eyes widened. “Like, you’ll be my boyfriend?”

“That’s usually what dating is, yes,” Jason said. “I’d like to be your boyfriend, Dickie.”

Dick’s face split into a smile. He looked like he was tearing up too.

“Oh, no, Dick, _please _don’t start crying,” Jason groaned, sitting up. “It wasn’t that touching.”

Dick laughed. “I just- I’m happy, okay? And yes, I would like it very much if you were my boyfriend, Jason.”

Jason could not deny that his heart fluttered a little bit when heard Dick say those words. He cleared his throat, blushing slightly. “So, um, can I kiss you now? As your boyfriend?”

Dick nodded eagerly. “Please do.”

This time, Jason made sure he explored every inch of his new boyfriend, without interruption.

~

Jason stayed for dinner, and after dessert and the plates were cleared, Dick stood up. “Jay and I are going to do our homework in my room,” he said. “And he’s staying the night again.”

Bruce nodded. “I’m fine with that. But first, Jason, may I have a word with you?” He stood and gestured towards the room next door.

Jason exchanged a glance with Dick. Dick let out a soft huff and gave Jason a strained smile. “Sorry,” he whispered. Then, louder, “I guess I’ll wait for you upstairs then?”

Jason nodded. He watched as Dick left the dining room, and then he followed Bruce into the living room.

“So, Jason,” Bruce said, walking ahead of Jason. He sat down in on one of the couches and nodded for Jason to sit on the other side. “You’re Dick’s classmate?”

“Just a couple classes,” Jason said, sitting down at the edge of the seat. He tried not to fidget as Bruce stared at him.

Bruce eyed the smaller boy for a second before reaching towards the bottle of alcohol set in the middle of the coffee table. He took a glass and poured some of the amber liquid into the glass. “Want some?” he asked, tilting the bottle towards Jason. “Bourbon. Aged twenty years.”

Jason pursed his lips and shook his head. “No, thanks, Mr. Wayne. I’m fifteen.”

Bruce’s lips quirked up the slightest bit. “Good answer,” he said. He took a slow sip from his own drink. “So, are you and Dick… dating?” He sounded a bit pained to be saying that word.

Jason tilted his head to the side, not wavering from Bruce’s intense gaze. He considered it for a second. “It is a recent development, but I suppose, yes. I like him, and I care about him.”

“Hm, mature words for a fifteen-year-old,” Bruce said. “Tell me, Jason, how would you hypothetically ‘care’ for Dick? Because, I absolutely mean no offense, but you are an orphan, are you not?”

Jason smiled. He leaned back in his chair, getting comfortable. “I am,” he said, not at all ashamed. “You’re right, Mr. Wayne. I am an orphan, and I can’t provide for Dick. But that’s your job right now, and I would like to give you a word of advice on it.”

Bruce’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh? You want to lecture _me _on parenting?” He sounded almost amused.

“Yes,” Jason said. “You see, it’s probably a really bad idea to send your son running around at night in panties. One, he could skin his knees badly, and two, Gotham is freezing cold this time of the year. _Also_,” Jason added, growing more confident as he spoke, his smile stretching wider across his face. “He needs a voice scrambler. Someone could deduce his secret identity from his voice alone, Mr. Wayne.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I love identity porn stuff (if one couldn't tell from both my BB themes), so I couldn't help myself with this one. I hope you enjoyed reading! <3


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